The critically acclaimed production of Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf by Red Stitch Actor’s Theatre now playing for a strictly limited season at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre, crackles with electrifying performances and razor-sharp dialogue, delivering an unforgettable night of theatre.
Starring AFI and Logie Award winner Kat Stewart, the play is masterclass in dramatic literature that delves into the complexities of marriage, illusion, and disillusionment.

Set in the living room of George – a history professor at a small New England college – and his wife Martha whose father is the president of the university, the play unravels over the course of a single, alcohol-fueled evening, revealing the deep-seated tensions and dark secrets that underpin their relationship.
George and Martha – played by real-life couple Kat Stewart and David Whitely – spend the evening engaged in psychological warfare that is both destructive and strangely cathartic – yet also darkly comedic. The arrival of Nick (played by Harvey Zielinski) and Honey (played by Emily Godard) at their home, joining them for drinks after a faculty party, serves as a catalyst that exposes the fragility of the facades maintained by the four characters.

What makes this play particularly compelling is its exploration of truth and illusion. George and Martha’s games, while cruel and manipulative, also reveal a desperate yearning for authenticity and connection. Their constant sparring is a dance of intimacy and estrangement, highlighting the paradox of a relationship built on both love and animosity.
The play’s structure, divided into three acts, skillfully escalates the tension, drawing the audience deeper into the emotional turmoil of the characters. Albee’s use of language is both poetic and brutal, capturing the rawness of human emotion with unflinching honesty.

Following a sold-out season in 2023, this is the first time in the Melbourne-born contemporary theatre company’s 23 year history that one of its productions has been transferred from its 80-seat home space in a converted church hall in St Kilda, to an 1000 seat commercial mainstage. And it isn’t hard to see why.
This production is flawlessly delivered by all four actors with perfect timing and nuanced and at times heartbreaking delivery.

More than 60 years after it was written, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? remains a powerful and relevant work, a searing examination of the masks we wear and the truths we hide. Its enduring impact is a testament to Albee’s genius in portraying the complexity of human relationships with such depth and nuance.
Red Stitch Actor’s Theatre’s Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf is at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre for a strictly limited time and finishes on 21 July.